Spring is springing, and now might be a good time to shake off the winter doldrums and go out to eat.

    At Michaels’ restaurant at Maidstone, a March to Spring food and wine dinner is being offered nightly all month. The special is $45 per person, which includes wine paired with an appetizer, entree, and dessert, or $30 per person for the meal only.

    Appetizer choices include red curry and lemongrass steamed mussels, corn and crab pancakes, fire-roasted prawns, polenta, lasagna, and hearts of palm salad. For entrees, diners can choose from braised New Zealand lamb shank, wild mushroom and fontina cheese ravioli, scallion and ginger-crusted yellowfin tuna, chicken Kiev, and grass-fed New York strip steak. Dessert choices include mango mousse cake, maple and ginger creme brulée, cinnamon rice pudding, and caramel and Granny Smith apple tart.

St. Paddy’s Specials

    In honor of St. Patrick’s Day this month, the Hampton Coffee Company in Water Mill has “leprechaun latte,” a chocolate mint-flavored drink, and Irish Creme-flavored coffee on the menu. Free samples of the Irish Creme coffee will be served every morning until lunchtime.

    The Hampton Coffee Company cafe, which serves muffins and other breakfast treats along with a full lunch menu of soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Meatless Mondays

    Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton is participating in Meatless Mondays, a worldwide initiative to reduce the consumption of meat in order to improve environmental and individual health. From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. each week, the restaurant will offer a vegetarian three-course prix fixe for $28.

Italian Wine Dinner

    At Race Lane in East Hampton, a six-course wine dinner on Sunday will highlight Italian wines. Dishes they will accompany include butternut squash soup with Montauk bay scallops, tuna crudo, handmade burrata with prosciutto, fettuccine Bolognese, braised veal, and, for dessert, zabaglione and berries. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. and costs $67 per person plus tax and gratuity.

Montauk Yacht Club

    News as the new season begins from the Montauk Yacht Club: Ryan K. Solien, a new chef de cuisine, will work with a consulting chef to design a menu blending Tuscan and “traditional farmers cuisine.” Mr. Solien previously served as a personal chef to Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and worked at Sandals Whitehouse, a Jamaican resort, as the executive chef with a Cirque du Soleil traveling show, and at the Big Sky Resort in Montana.

    A spring menu for the Gulf Coast Kitchen at the yacht club has been unveiled by Gabriele Corcos, the chef there. A three-course prix fixe for $29.95 features a choice of clam chowder, spicy mussels, ceviche, or pomegranate salad to start, followed by prawns and linguine, roasted Tuscan chicken, grilled hanger steak, or a Kobe beef burger. Dessert is included as well.

   So I went to the doctor a month ago and got the bad news. All of a sudden I have high blood pressure. My entire life I have had low blood pressure. The blood pressure of a lizard sunning herself on a mesa in New Mexico — chill, baby, chill! The doctor recommended the DASH diet. DASH is a silly acronym I keep forgetting. It’s something like “diet to abolish stupid hypertension.” No, seriously, it’s “dieting approaches to stop hypertension.”

   But that’s not what this story is about. In the midst of this strict new diet, I was scheduled to attend a six-day conference in New Orleans. New Orleans! One of the greatest food cities in America! Land of the fried oysters, beignets, po boys, pralines, muffalettas, hurricanes, Sazeracs, ’n’ grits. Not one of those delectable items is on the DASH diet. How could I navigate the rich, fatty, salty food landscape of that beautiful, rundown city and stick to my diet?

   While still at home I found myself embracing the discipline of DASH. I love brown rice and oatmeal and kale and butternut squash. Quinoa is fun! Nonfat Greek yogurt is a miracle! The DASH diet suggests six to eight servings of grains per day, four to five each of fruits and vegetables, two of dairy, one and a half of meat or fish, and very little fat and sweets. At the restaurant where I work it has been hard to resist the “family meal,” always delicious but most often pasta-centric. On the other hand, I have access to all kinds of fruit and salad fixings. It’s easy to just grab a handful of berries and whip up a smoothie or build a balanced salad full of greens, carrots, and sunflower seeds.

    But New Orleans was looming and I love every salty, deep-fried crustacean and mollusk that city has to offer. Every restaurant I wanted to revisit or explore for the first time offers such naughty dishes such as Mr. B’s barbecued shrimp, a Worcestershire sauce and butter extravaganza, Nola’s andouille sausage bread pudding, and Arnaud’s oysters Bienville, full of cream and Romano cheese.

    The food of New Orleans doesn’t change. This city is as enamored of its Cajun and Creole cuisine as every tourist who visits it. There is no farm-to-table movement, no vegan options at K Paul’s, and if you don’t embrace walking the streets with an adult beverage in your hand at all times of the day, what are you doing here?

    Well, it turns out it wasn’t that hard to be virtuous and pick my way carefully through the land mine of menus. I could order the simplest fish preparations and plenty of vegetable side dishes. In lieu of a Sazerac or milk punch, a glass of sauvignon blanc went quite nicely with the savory spices of traditional N’Awlins cooking. My colleague Ken discovered the coolest, funkiest (and healthiest) restaurant in the entire city. Green Goddess, a tiny spot tucked down an alleyway, with only eight seats and four bar stools, was my savior. It was so good we ate there three times. They serve dishes such as muhammara, a Syrian dip of roasted red peppers, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses served with raw and cooked vegetables, a vegetarian Cuban sandwich filled with collard greens, Indian lentil pancakes, and satsuma shrimp salad with arugula. Of course, they also had a few classics; a pressed crab sandwich, pork belly with red eye gravy, and a rich bruléed apple French toast.

    There was one day, however, when I had to let myself off the leash. I wandered into Cafe du Monde for the fried dough squares known as beignets. You get three to an order, piled high with powdered sugar. I daintily nibbled on one and went my merry way. Next stop, for another irresistible New Orleans classic, Central Grocery for a muffaletta. These sandwiches consist of huge, soft, round loaves filled with Italian meats such as soppressata, mortadella, salami, some provolone cheese, and, most important, an oily pickled mixture called olive salad. I only ate a quarter of the sandwich and was happy to leave the rest.

    As I tried to navigate through this fattening foodie heaven, I realized that there were so many ways I could cook these foods at home without all the fat and frying and salt and sugar. Remoulade? Why not try making it with yogurt and Vegenaise instead of mayonnaise? Blackened redfish dipped in butter? Why not bake it with a whisper of olive oil? Maque choux, that lovely mixture of corn, peppers, onions, and tomatoes swimming in butter and cream? Again, cook it in olive oil.

    I proposed to my colleagues Ken and Nick that, upon our return, I would cook a virtuous, healthy New Orleans-style meal for us all. I combined a variety of fish — red snapper, grouper, and tilefish — and baked them with the classic blackened fish spices. The maque choux, enough for eight people, had no more than two tablespoons of olive oil. The remoulade for the blackened fish was a combination of diced celery, sweet onion, lemon juice, cayenne, and yogurt. The salad, an homage to Green Goddess’s kooky, clever, healthy menu, was a mixture of Asian greens, slices of Asian pear, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and crushed sweet potato chips on top. For dessert, however, I felt the need to adhere to one great New Orleans classic, Commander Palace’s souffléed bread pudding.

    The meal was a great success and I liked knowing that I sent my friends home sated, not bloated. Last but not least, I discovered upon my return that I am probably the only person in history to have come home from a week in New Orleans three pounds lighter and feeling pretty darned good. Like a lizard sunning herself on a rock in the desert.

CLICK FOR RECIPES

A Bit o’ the Irish

    A two-course special for St. Patrick’s Day will be offered at Rowdy Hall in East Hampton on Saturday and on March 25, the day of the Friends of Erin parade in Montauk. A two-course meal for $20 will include a choice of an appetizer and entree, or an entree and dessert. Menu choices include potato leek soup, corned beef and cabbage with potatoes, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, and sticky toffee pudding. There will also be drink specials and, on Saturday, live Irish music from 3 to 6 p.m.

At the American Hotel

    A wine dinner at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor next Thursday is part of a series called Partners in Living Local, arranged by Jon Leo, a winemaker and Slow Food member. It will feature wine by the Premium Wine Group in Mattituck — their T’Jara Merlot and T’Jara Reserve. The cost of the dinner is $70 plus tax and tip. The hotel is taking reservations for the Slow Food organization’s Josh Levine Memorial Dinner on April 1, honoring a young man who worked at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett. Tickets can be purchased separately for a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres that will be held at Bay Street Theatre that evening from 5 to 7.

Restaurant Week

    Hamptons Restaurant Week begins Sunday. Participating restaurants, a list of which can be found at hamptonsrestaurantweek.com, are offering a three-course prix fixe for $19.95 or $24.95 each evening through March 25, except on Saturday nights, when the special will be available only until 7.

East End Chefs

    Jimbo Renner, the chef and owner of Il Capuccino in Sag Harbor, will prepare a meal next Thursday at the Old Whalers Church in Sag Harbor, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The menu will include mussels with poblano peppers, baked local fish, a local spring vegetable, and challah bread French toast with heavy cream and berries. Wine will be served. The program, the first in this year’s East End Chefs series at the church, costs $30. Space is limited, and advance reservations can be made by calling the church.

    Ospreys have been sighted and restaurant stoves are heating up after winter dormancy, so it must be spring.

    At the almost-tip of East Lake Drive in Montauk, overlooking the mouth of the Montauk Harbor channel, Inlet Seafood will begin serving lunch and dinner on Thursday, extending its long weekends. Lunch and dinner is served each day.

Gluten-Free Pizza

    Those following gluten-free diets may be heartened to hear that Pepperoni’s, on Springs-Fireplace Road in East Hampton, is now serving pizza made with gluten-free dough.

New BBQ

    Eric and Mark Miller have opened the Millers’ Real BBQ takeout shop at their Food & Co. building on Montauk Highway in East Hampton. The new barbecue spot, with a menu full of smoked, barbecued, and hickory-roasted pork, brisket, chicken, and duck, along with sandwiches, quesadillas, and side dishes, opened last weekend and will be serving from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Catering for a minimum of 10 people is available as well.

Still Restaurant Week

    Foodies readers who have not yet gone out to a restaurant participating in Hamptons Restaurant Week have a few more opportunities to avail themselves of the prix fixe specials being offered through Sunday night. Meals cost either $19.95 or $24.95. A list of the participating eateries can be found at hamptonsrestaurantweek.com.

March Fest

    Just a bit over a week remains of the March to Spring food and wine fest at Michaels’ in Springs. All this month, the restaurant is offering a special including a three-course dinner with three glasses of wine for $45 a person, or the food only, without spirits, at $30 per person. Michaels’ is open nightly, and menus are posted at michaelsofmaidstone.com.

More Market Vendors

    The Fair Foods Farmers Market, held Saturdays at the Bay Burger building on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Sag Harbor, will continue until May 12.  Early spring produce from local farmers will be coming soon, but available now are baked goods, Latin American-style empanadas, pickles, East End wines, spices, sauces, jams, olive oils, dairy products, and premium steaks, bacon, and sausages from grass-fed animals. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

More Mary’s

    Soon devotees of Mary’s Marvelous’s whole wheat maple scones, vegan muffins, and other tasty choices for breakfast and lunch will have two stores to choose from. The Amagansett favorite is expanding to East Hampton Village, where it will take the spot formerly occupied by Bucket’s Delicatessen.

    The new store will be similar to the original, minus the seating, and will have a few additional offerings, like a juice bar, according to Mary Schoenlein, the owner. She is aiming for a July 1 opening, and is contending with the two locations by “splitting myself in half,” she said with a laugh.    B.L.

   I don’t know a lot about beer but when I heard Rowdy Hall was having its 10th annual beer dinner, celebrating local recipes and foods of the East End paired with local beers, I couldn’t resist.

    If the end of summer Shoe Inn warehouse sale is the siren call to all women, then surely the Rowdy Hall beer dinner is the same for all men. Or as one of the few women attending remarked upon surveying the room, “I’ve never seen so many seated men, and so well behaved!”

    The Rowdy Hall beer dinner has become a popular tradition, the brainchild of the omnipresent and awesome bartender Joe Gonzalez and proprietor Mark Smith. While some of us may think of Rowdy as the place for the best burgers, fish and chips, and French onion soup, beer aficionados recognize it as one of the best bars around. There are eight taps with a rotating selection, some international, some domestic, some very esoteric. There is also an eclectic mix of bottled beers. For those who may want to try some unusual brews such as Old Peculiar or Firestone’s I.P.A. — that’s India pale ale — Mr. Gonzalez recommends Peconic Beverage as a great source.

    The dinner began with passed hors d’oeuvres served with Southampton Publick House’s Biere de Mars, a “French farmhouse style ale that is clean and smooth with a lager-like finish.” I am quoting the menu description because I don’t know diddly about beer. There were delicious tiny codfish cakes, giant clam fritters, pickled squid, bluefish paté, and chicken liver crostinis, all excellent. Struggling for the right words to describe the Biere de Mars, I spied Jacques Franey of Domaine Franey and asked him. “Fresh!” he happily replied. Yes, fresh.

    The first course was a rich broth of potatoes and leeks from Balsam Farms studded with lightly poached Montauk oysters. Excellent with Greenport Harbor Brewing Company’s Black Duck Porter, which was “malt forward, strong cocoa with hints of coffee and a roasty dry finish.” Indeed, I get that.

    Upon arrival, every guest got raffle tickets. Between courses, Mark Smith, a most entertaining M.C., shouted out numbers for prizes, shared jokes that veered between cornball Henny Youngman to almost P.C. Louis C.K. This kept the gents laughing as the bowls were cleared and fresh brews delivered. The next course was East End clam pie served with Hamptons Beer Company Pale Ale. The clam pie, based on Saveur magazine’s version, which is supposed to be close to the original Crystal Room’s clam pie, was delicious. It was kind of like a solid clam chowder with all the flavors you expect, briny clams, a bit of thyme, finely diced vegetables. The beer was one of my favorites, “a subtle sweet malt, balanced by a crisp, citrusy hop finish.” I asked Joe where, exactly, in East Hampton, is the Hamptons Beer Company? “Well, it’s kind of a gypsy brewery.” Gypsy brewing is brewing on the go, a subculture of the craft beer industry. I found it apricot-ty, a bit fruity, very good.

    Next on the menu was roasted Long Island duckling with Cumberland sauce, accompanied by a root vegetable gratin and served with Montauk Brewing Company’s Driftwood Ale, “an American E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) with a harmonious existence between the malt and hop leading this brew to high quaffability.” I concur. The duck was tender and delicious, and when is the last time you saw Cumberland sauce on a menu?!

    All of the recipes used for the all-local menu came from old cookbooks, a good number from ancient L.V.I.S. cookbooks.

    So how do they choose the foods to go along with the beers? According to Mr. Gonzalez, they choose the menu first, then pair the beers with it. Among the favorites of past beer dinners was Fuller’s E.S.B., which was chosen to partner with the passed hors d’oeuvres. “There was a lot of synchronicity with that one,” he told me. The Peter Luger’s Steakhouse menu dinner was another huge hit.

    Mr. Gonzalez pointed out that when Rowdy Hall opened 16 years ago there was very little interest in or knowledge of microbreweries, craft brewing, and now, gypsy brewing. Over the years beer drinkers have become more interested, and the savvy folks who come out from New York City make it a point to stop by Rowdy Hall to try, say, the rare Nogne I.P.A. from Norway, or Belgium’s Lindeman’s Framboise.

    Rowdy Hall’s beer dinners have become a popular community event and are always sold out. They are fun, funny, and informative, and the majority of attendees come every year.

    So what does Joe Gonzalez, a bartender’s bartender, who surely has tried everything under the sun and moon, like to drink? “I am a beer guy. I like Beck’s on tap. Around here we call it ‘Rowdy water.’ ”

   As Valentine’s Day is a holiday that gets even the most stalwart homebodies out for a meal, here is the scoop on some places where diners can celebrate.

    In Montauk, Manucci’s, which specializes in seafood as well as Italian cuisine, will offer a special Valentine’s Day menu. Items from the regular menu will also be available. Dinner is served nightly at Manucci’s beginning at 5 p.m. Reservations have been suggested.

Oyster Prelude

    To gear up for Tuesday the 14th, there will be an evening of “Oyster Mania” on Sunday at the site of the old Honest Diner in Amagansett, home to Art of Eating Catering. The event will be a benefit for the Springs Seedlings Project.

    Cheryl Stair, Art of Eating’s chef, will prepare oysters from local waters, as well as dishes based on other local bounty — fish, produce, and poultry — accompanied by locally made wines and beers.

    Reservations are required for the 4 to 7:30 p.m. event. Tickets are $85, or $75 for members of the local Slow Food chapter.

Lovers’ Prix Fixe

    The chef and owner at Harbor Grill, Damien O’Donnell, will make a long weekend of the lovers’ holiday by serving a “lovers’ prix fixe” tomorrow through Tuesday. The special meal is $45 per person and includes a glass of champagne for each lovebird. Starters will include lobster bisque, three cheese ravioli, spinach salad, crab cakes, or chilled shrimp. Entree choices will be beef Wellington, steamed lobster, marinated and grilled Atlantic tuna, or pan roasted chicken breast. The meal will wind up with a dessert sampler for two.

    The restaurant will have live music on Valentine’s Day itself.

    The Harbor Grill is now offering a 15-percent discount on meals ordered by senior citizens. The offer is valid all the time, but does not apply to the grill’s nightly $19 prix fixe.

    Valentine’s dinner at Nick and Toni’s in East Hammpton will bring a $30 prix fixe featuring special dishes, as well as an a la carte entree for two: prime tagliata steak for two, served with gorgonzola beet gratin and pea vine salad with shaved pecorino, for $85. Dinner service begins at 6 p.m.; reservations have been suggested.

At Almond

    At Almond in Bridgehampton, a four-course menu offered on Valentine’s Day, starting at 6 p.m., will include dishes that all feature blood orange. For appetizers, diners may choose iced oysters with blood orange and prosecco granita or a winter salad with blood orange vinaigrette. Entree choices are heritage pork osso buco with saffron risotto and blood orange gremolata, or smoked, then roasted salmon with a warm salad of baby root vegetables and citrus sauce. Dessert will be a warm chocolate tart with blood oranges three ways. The cost is $70 per person. The a la carte menu will also be served.

    A Valentine’s Day prix fixe at Pierre’s, also in Bridgehampton, offers a lineup of love-themed dishes, such as the “Red Hot Lover” — lobster salad and sun-dried apples served with brioche toast, “Hot Tub Meeting” — a pot-au-feu of sea bass, scallops, shrimp, and lobster, and a “Melting Heart” dessert, which is French meringue with raspberry sorbet, red berry coulis, and whipped cream.

    A three-course prix fixe for $55 features a “teaser,” main dish, and dessert.

    A number of special appetizer and entree dishes will be on the menu at the Living Room in East Hampton on Valentine’s Day, where the holiday special will include a glass of champagne.

    Beginning on Sunday, the Living Room will have a “jazzy” brunch each week from noon to 2:30 p.m. featuring Klyph Black on guitar, accompanied by a changing roster of guest musicians.

    At Fresno in East Hampton, singles — and couples — have been invited to have a Valentine’s Day dinner at the bar, served by Diego, the bartender. Specials to be offered that night include oysters on the half shell, filet mignon with grilled prawns, seared scallops, and a bittersweet chocolate fondue served with strawberries, almond lace cookies, and marshmallow hearts.

Rugby Time Food

    Townline BBQ, where the TVs at the bar will be showing the 2012 Six Nations Rugby games over the next few weeks, will offer food and drink specials during the games. They include chili cheese nachos, wings, and warm pretzels for $3, and bottles of Beck’s beer and Magners Irish Cider for $4. The next game will be on Saturday — France versus Ireland at 3 p.m.

Happy on North Main

    Serafina restaurant on East Hampton’s North Main Street is having a daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m., with half-off specials on signature cocktails, including new ones created by the restaurant’s own mixologists, and on wine, Prosecco, and beer.

Inlet Reopens

    And the early season begins: Inlet Seafood in Montauk will reopen after a winter break on Friday, Feb. 17. The restaurant and sushi bar will serve lunch from noon to 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday through Sunday, and lunch only on Monday. Inlet overlooks the mouth of Montauk Harbor at the end of East Lake Drive.

   It’s fairly common knowledge by now that, as the band Queen sings, “fat-bottomed girls, they make the rockin’ world go ’round,” but can the same be said for confectionery?

    According to Donna McCue, whose East Hampton business, Fat Ass Fudge, has been on a steady spread for the past four years, the answer is yes.

    Ms. McCue has been known in the Hamptons for her work as an intuitive for over 25 years, which included a stint as a columnist for Hamptons magazine and the publication of a book — “Your Fate Is in Your Hands” — by Simon and Schuster. But it was during a family reunion for her 60th birthday that her life took a new and unexpected direction.

    Her eight brothers and sisters flew in from all over for the celebration, for which Ms. McCue made the fudge she had been making for herself for years. “It was my English grandmother’s recipe, but I kicked it up about 100 notches.” She changed the generic ingredients supplied in the recipe to the best of the best — 72 percent pure dark Belgian chocolate and organic goat’s milk and butter, which is better stomached by those with lactose intolerance. She also made the recipe gluten free.

    When one of her brothers suggested that she sell the stuff, and asked her what she would name her company, she sassed, “I would call it what you called me growing up — Fat Ass.”

    “And that’s ‘How I Turned an Insult Into an Empire,’ ” Ms. McCue said on Saturday morning. One can hear the capital letters implied by the former comedian and talk show host as she plans the title of her fantasy autobiography.

    Her empire right now consists of farmers markets and a few local exchanges, along with her Fudgemobile — a Scion sporting her trademarked Fat Ass donkey. But her available wares have grown from fudge in its different forms — this month heart-shaped fudge is all the rage for obvious reasons — to include other sweets as well, all handmade by Ms. McCue. At Saturday’s East End Fair Foods Market held each winter weekend at the temporarily-closed Bay Burger in Sag Harbor, her table is filled with truffles, dark chocolate sauces, fudge, brownies, English toffee, and popcorn drizzled with fresh caramel and chocolate.

    “Do you know what the difference is between men and chocolate?” Ms. McCue said. “Chocolate never disappoints.”

    When she began her cottage industry, Ms. McCue was working at the now-defunct Della Femina Restaurant, answering phones. “They opened their kitchen to me,” she said. Now she uses the new Dreesen’s location on Lumber Lane in East Hampton. An unasked-for gift of seed money from her publicist set her on her way.

    When people need a Fat Ass fix and can’t find a farmers market, Ms. McCue also sells her products, including little one-bite morsels called Ass Kissers, online at fat-assfudge.com.

    “One a day keeps the doctor away,” the Web site boasts.

    Seasonal favorites include a pumpkin spice fudge in the fall, and peppermint fudge during the winter holidays. Another favorite, a ricotta fudge made with cheese from Mecox Bay Dairy in Bridgehampton, “is like heaven,” Ms. McCue said. When she makes it, it sells out immediately.

    The fresh and organic ingredients are expensive, and the product is delicate and needs temperature control, so portions tend to be small, but Ms. McCue is confident that “a little Fat Ass goes a long way.”

    With her budding company, Ms. McCue said she has finally found her calling. “It combines all the things I love and know about from my life: creativity, alchemy, making things both as healthy and as decadent as I can,” she said with a laugh.

    What does the future hold for Fat Ass? “I would love to have a Fat Ass Cafe in East Hampton,” she said. One can see the wheels turning as Ms. McCue smiles and plans her next big venture. “The slogan can be, ‘Come in and sit your Fat Ass down.’ ”

Valentine’s Day is coming and perhaps you have been planning a special meal for that certain someone. We tend to think of Valentine’s meals as an indulgence, perhaps an elaborate recipe, some expensive and rich ingredients, all topped off with a gooey, chocolaty dessert. Ca­vi­ar, champagne, steak with béarnaise sauce, oof!

Some traditional Valentine’s Day fare, such as oysters, has been believed to have aphrodisiacal properties for thousands of years. So why not forgo the wallet-busting, diet-destroying, and libido-dampening meals of the past and try some of the foods that do have the potential to put you in the mood for love.

Since the first century A.D., arugula has been considered an aphrodisiac. Figs, ginger, carrots, honey, vanilla, and avocados get high marks, whereas dill, watercress, and lentils put a damper on amore.

There is a top 10 list of foods reputed to be aphrodisiacs, some merely due to their resemblance to human anatomy (bananas for boys, figs for girls), and some with a bit of science to back them up.

In 19th-century France, asparagus was served in three courses to young bridegrooms on the eve of their nuptials. Asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, thiamin, and folic acid. Folic acid is said to boost histamine production, which in turn enhances everyone’s sexual satisfaction.

Almonds have been regarded as a symbol of fertility for thousands of years, and the odor was believed to arouse passion in the ladies. The French writer Alexander Dumas dined on almond soup every evening before meeting his mistress.

The Aztecs’ name for the avocado tree was “ahuacuatl,” or “testicle tree.” The Spanish found the fruit so obscenely sexy that Catholic priests attempted to ban its consumption. While avocados are a bit fatty, it’s all good for you, full of folic acid, vitamin B6, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and oleic acid, which helps fight “bad” cholesterol.

The banana is full of potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins. It also contains chelating minerals and the bromelian enzyme said to enhance male libido. This may be why Central Americans drink the sap of the red banana tree as an aphrodisiac and the Hindus regard it as a symbol of fertility.

Basil is an interesting addition to the top 10 list. How did it get here? As a member of the mint family, it is believed to have headache-curing abilities — all kinds of headaches. In some parts of Italy, basil is presented as a love token.

Chocolate! Why does it make us so happy? The “food of the gods” contains theobromine, a stimulating alkaloid similar to caffeine. Chocolate also helps the brain produce feel-good serotonin. But stick with dark chocolate (like 73-percent cocoa); milk chocolate is just a bunch of fat and sugar.

The egg is one of the most ancient of fertility symbols. High in B6 and B5, it could be part of a perfect, inexpensive, light Valentine’s Day meal. Gently scrambled eggs with a few drops of truffle oil and a dollop of caviar? Heaven!

Figs are said to have been Cleopatra’s favorite food. These sweet purple fruits are sexy in both appearance and texture and have figured in a great deal of erotic literature. To the ancient Greeks, they were “more precious than gold.”

Foie gras is considered an aphrodisiac simply because of its decadent richness, buttery texture, and association with fine living. I’ll take a pass on this one.

Last but not least, the beautiful oyster! Casanova ate 50 a day. These mollusks are high in zinc, which raises sperm and testosterone production, and contain omega-3 fatty acids. You could choose Pacific oysters like Kumamoto for their creamy, mineral taste, or Atlantic oysters for their distinctive brininess. Whichever you choose, try them with David Rattray’s mignonette recipe below!

When researching foodstuffs for this column, I always turn to my trusted tome, the dense “Oxford Companion to Food.” I was deeply distressed that Alan Davidson does not believe that any foods possess aphrodisiacal powers and to believe so “is on a par with believing you’ll find a crock of gold at the end of a rainbow.” Bah-humbug!

I believe that if you are preparing a special meal for your loved one, and it is healthy and doesn’t break the bank and begins with oysters and ends with dark chocolate, chances are you could get lucky this Valentine’s Day.

Click for Recipe: Silver Vodka Mignonette for Oysters

   Chances are, the last time you bit into a sweet, buttery ear of corn was five or six months ago. Wasn’t it delicious? Your last fully ripe, deeply red tomato salad scattered with herbs followed by a perfect local peach? Seems like such a long time ago.

    Perhaps you have been perusing seed catalogs, dreaming about next summer’s garden. When you go grocery shopping this time of year, do you look at the produce section and go . . . “Meh”?

    Do not despair; this is the perfect time to expand your vegetable repertory. There are plenty of interesting root vegetables, alliums, and cruciferous vegetables that take well to wintertime cooking. Stews, ragouts, and warm salads made entirely with vegetables or with just a bit of meat or fish added are a welcome change this chilly time of year.

    I like to mix potatoes with celery root in a purée or gratin. Brussels sprouts roasted or shredded and pan-fried with a bit of crisped pancetta make a wonderful winter side dish. I had it last night! Endive is delicious in small doses in a salad, but try it in the classic French style, braised whole and perhaps topped with toasted breadcrumbs or grated cheese. This is also a good time to try those peculiar vegetables that baffle us, the ones hidden around the corner of the I.G.A., chayote, plantains, and spaghetti squash.

    Carrots are good all year round as is broccoli raab. Try the carrots blanched, then sautéed with a bit of butter and topped with minced chives. Broccoli raab cooked with a few ounces of hot Italian sausage mixed with orecchiette is an economical and hearty one-dish meal.

    It’s also okay to dabble with canned and frozen vegetables. Artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, olives, lima beans, and black-eyed peas can be incorporated into casseroles and salads.

    Plant foods can provide you with all the nourishment you need to live and thrive. Our primitive ancestors started out eating little else, and many cultures still do. For most of the 20th century nutritional science aimed to define an “adequate” diet, and determined our “minimal” requirements for balance. More recently, nutritional science is focused on defining the “optimal” diet. After comparing health statistics from around the world, people now realize that plants are the planet’s biochemical virtuosos!

    Beets belong to the goosefoot family, and their closest relatives, chard and spinach, are cultivated for their leafy greens. Beets have a remarkably high sugar content, which makes them delicious when roasted with other root vegetables, such as parsnips and celery root. They are also divine pickled and served with prosciutto and patés.

    Broccoli is related to kohlrabi, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale. Broccoli raab is more closely related to the turnip. Look for heads of broccoli that are firm and bright green, any yellowing or tiny yellow flower buds are a sign of age and poor quality. With broccoli raab, choose tender fleshy stems with the flower heads still closed.

    Carrots, which are closely related to parsley and fennel, contribute a sweet, rich character to stocks, marinades, soups, and sauces. But they shine best when cooked alone or with a few other vegetables. Look for firm, crisp carrots with smooth, unblemished skin, avoid those with soft or discolored spots. If tops are still attached, they should be bright green and not wilted.

    Both celery and celery root have strong herbaceous flavors. Originally, celery was considered useful only for medicinal purposes. Celery root, the milder of the two, is delicious raw in a mustardy vinaigrette or cooked with other cold season vegetables like chestnuts, fennel, and artichokes.

    There is a great variety of winter squashes available, butternut, acorn, Delicata, Hubbard, and Kabocha. They can be diced and sautéed, made into soups or gratins, simmered in chicken stock with onions, flavored with bacon, mixed into a risotto . . . the possibilities are endless.

    Of tropical origin, the sweet potato develops more sweetness and flavor while in storage, making it another ideal winter vegetable. I buy quite a few at a time, bake them all, and figure out what to do with them the rest of the week.

    Sometimes in restaurants I order two vegetable side dishes and a salad instead of the usual appetizer and entree. I have found out that an imaginative selection of side dishes reflects creativity in the kitchen.

    So we all miss those fleeting treats of summer. They are still five or six months away from us. In the meantime, why not explore the everyday and the more unusual vegetables of winter?

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   At 8 p.m. tonight, Montauk, and a notable number of the hamlet’s standouts, including the surfcaster Gary (Toad) Stephens, Capt. Amanda Switzer, the Miss Montauk party boat, Jenny Meadows, chef at the Fishbar, Todd Mitgang of South Edison restaurant, and last but not least, Paul Melnyk, king of “skishing,” will be featured in the premiere of Ben Sargent’s “Hook, Line, and Dinner,” a Cooking Channel presentation.

    The plot of the short documentary is straightforward. Ben (“I live for sea­food”) Sargent, the show’s host-fisherman-chef, pays a visit to the fishing capital of the Northeast during the 2010 striped bass run.

    While the season ended with somewhat of a whimper, the month of October stood out big time, producing one of nature’s more awesome displays; tens of thousands of striped bass on their southerly migration feeding on great clouds of prey species.

    Mr. Sargent timed his visit well and the filmmaker Ariel Astrachan has strung together some amazing underwater and surface footage of big bass in the midst of a feeding frenzy.

    We often look funny to ourselves when peering into a mirror, and “Hook, Line, and Dinner’s” visit to Montauk will strike locals as a bit hokey. At the same time, viewers will take pride in the filmmaker/chef’s choice of featured characters.

    Toad takes Ben Sargent surfcasting, first explaining and demonstrating how he got his handle by jumping over cars. As for surfcasting, he is one of the best, with a gift for colorful, stream-of-consciousness patter. Those fishing alongside him might think it a curse. That voice!

    Toad gets him a nice fish that he takes to South Edison, where the chef Todd Mitgang prepares it with creamed kale and wheatberry on a bed of chopped cherrystone clam — “a taste of Montauk in the fall,” Mr. Sargent declares.

    The host takes to the sea for a bit of fly-fishing aboard Captain Switzer’s light-tackle guide boat. They find a traffic snarl of similar boats in front of the Montauk Lighthouse, a common, and often dangerous, dangle, but this sequence includes amazing video of stripers boiling on the surface. Acres of them.

     Next, the intrepid culinary Nimrod boards the party boat Miss Montauk for a day of porgy fishing with Capt. Jamie Quaresimo at the helm. He takes his catch to the Fishbar, a terrific out-of-the-way restaurant located at the Gone Fishing Marina on East Lake Drive. The chef Jenny Meadows concocts a mouth-watering dish by grilling a fat porgy whole and serving it with a spicy tomato chutney.

    This is a cooking show, and Mr. Sargent takes pains to accent the preparations. For the striped bass dish, he stresses that the kale was locally grown, the wheatberries too. Ms. Meadows says that if the porgy’s skin sticks to the grill, it’s not done.

    Next up is the fishing chef’s meet-up with Paul Melnyk, “the craziest man in town.” Montauk locals know that while he’s out-there (in a good sense), Paul Melnyk has not yet pledged Montauk’s craziest fraternity, but as the inventor and number-one practitioner of the sport of skishing he could be described as paranormal.

    Simply put, skishing means donning a wetsuit and swim fins and swimming offshore with a surfcasting rod. It all began, he claims, when he was pulled into the ocean while fighting a 40-pound striped bass. He says it’s a way to escape the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that often cram the beach during the fall run. It helps not to dwell on the possibility that a shark could be attracted to the skish­er by the blood and thrashing of his catch.

    Mr. Sargent joins Mr. Melnyk on a skish­ing expedition which goes well — “reeling it in with nothing below you but the Atlantic” — until the tide turns and the pair is forced to struggle against it or get carried out to sea.

    All in all, Mr. Sargent does us proud. He gets it, and in the process of singing Montauk’s praises, reminds us how lucky we are to live beside a marine cornucopia.